ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) investigation report as well as the other relevant documents were handed over to the prosecutor on Wednesday during a hearing of former president Pervez Musharraf’s treason case,
HunzaNews May 14,2014
A three-member bench headed by Justice Faisal Arab heard the case today.
Interior ministry gave a 237-page report to the prosecutor of which 125 pages are various documents that were collected by the government. Statements of 24 witnesses are also included in the report which make up 94 of the pages. Also, summaries of the testimonies make up 6 of the pages of the report.
On May 8, a special court had accepted a plea that Musharraf be given access to a probe report and other relevant documents about his treason trial and the FIA was ordered to hand over the relevant documents by May 14.
The bench had also made it clear that it has ample power to try any abettor. The decision to implicate any other person would depend on what material comes on record in the shape of documents, extrajudicial statements and oral evidence and the evidence so produced might then connect any other person with the commission of the crime.
The legal team of the former president on April 24 had raised questions over the non-availability of FIA’s inquiry report, accusing the prosecution of deliberately withholding the documents related to the promulgation of the November 3, 2007 emergency and Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO).
Counsel for Musharraf Barrister Farogh Naseem had argued before the court that the prosecution’s witnesses could not be cross-examined until the report was received.
Nasim had also said that it was an essential pillar of the criminal justice process that the accused be allowed to set up his defence to the best of his abilities and this was only possible when the accused had access to all the information which the prosecution is relying upon in the case.
He had further said that if the relevant record would not be given, then it would be the violation of Article 25 of the constitution.
On March 31, Musharraf was formally charged for subverting and circumventing the Constitution by imposing emergency on November 3, 2007. Musharraf had rejected the charges levelled against him.
express